


Sleepless

by JustSomeoneUnordinary



Series: Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Gets a Hug, Bucky Barnes Has Panic Attacks, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, It's a soft little ficlet! That's all you need to know, Listen it's not my fault I don't understand how to tag properly, M/M, More like 'A little bit Sad with a Fluffy Ending', Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29369043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustSomeoneUnordinary/pseuds/JustSomeoneUnordinary
Summary: Bucky has trouble with sleeping.Ever since he escaped HYDRA, was on the run, while trying to deal with the lost memories thanks to his brain being deep fried once too often, and ended up here at the Avengers Tower at last, he. just. can’t. sleep.So, he does his usual ritual—and unexpectedly meets with Tony.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: Tumblr Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065590
Comments: 2
Kudos: 93





	Sleepless

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt was “It's 2AM why are you here?” 
> 
> You can read my own version in German [here](https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/6025f924000103bc1193ca1e/1/Rest-My-Soul).

Bucky has trouble with sleeping.

Ever since he escaped HYDRA, was on the run, while trying to deal with the lost memories thanks to his brain being deep fried once too often, and ended up here at the Avengers Tower at last, he. just. can’t. sleep.

As soon as he closes his eyes and slowly drifts away, the sound of screaming and the sight of blood wake him, and he ends up crouching in a corner, head pounding, ears roaring, tears flowing.

So, he seeks out Steve. Steve, who isn’t his Stevie anymore, but still kind of is, just different, and who is Bucky to complain, when he isn’t Bucky anymore either but a soulless body walking through a lifeless life anyway?

So, he seeks out Steve—Stevie, Rogers, Captain America, _Punk_. And the Punk wraps his arms around him and holds him until the tears finally find an end and his head stops screaming at the void. It’s not the same as it used to be, Bucky knows, _remembers_ , the arrangement being the other way around—holding a tiny boy, helping him to breathe again.

But it’s okay. It’s nice, it helps, it’s just… different. Nowadays everything’s different anyway.

Before that though, he walks to the kitchen and prepares himself a tea. Chamomile. And a teaspoon of honey in it. Not because he likes it, but because—

_“Here, sweetheart, drink this and you’ll feel better,” Winifred Barnes says, handing over a hot mug, a soft smile on her crimson lips and lovely lights dancing in her deep blue eyes._

—Bucky remembers.

This time, however, it’s not the shrill whistling of the teapot that pulls him out of his trance, but rather that of a charging repulsor being aimed directly at his face Bucky suddenly is confronted with.

“Oh, shit,” Stark curses. “Sorry Barnes, you startled me.”

He slowly lowers his hand-gauntlet, frowns at him skeptically, while eyes of amber, framed with deep shadows speaking of sleep-deprivation, look him up and down. “It’s two AM, why are you here?”

How ironic, Bucky thinks, of Stark to ask this, when he’s here too. But words won’t leave his lips, and his mouth feels dry all of a sudden, and Bucky—Barnes, Jerk, James, Winter Soldier, _The Asset_ … The Asset gasps, the blood in his veins freezes and there’s a scream, someone cries—

_“Help… my wife… my wife… Sergeant Barnes?”_

—and it hurts, his face is wet, a voice is calling him, and all of this makes sense, because he fell on the floor and he’s crying and Stark is here with him, so it makes sense, but no, no, it doesn’t, it doesn’t because _nothing_ makes sense!

It never does.

It’s not until Stark puts his hand on Bucky’s leg, that he takes his first real breath; air filling his lungs, the bitter smell of coffee invading his senses and a soft murmur bringing him back to the here and now. Before he knows what he’s doing, he wraps his arms around Stark and pulls him in a deep crushing hug. Soft, brown hair, dirty with grease, tickles his chin, and warm breath brushes his skin, a low grumble leaving the body beneath him.

“What am I, a teddy bear?” Stark growls, while putting his arms around Bucky’s torso.

This… this is perfect, he concludes. No pain or pounding in his head. No blood painting his visions red. No screams in his dreams or tears on his cheeks.

And for the first time Bucky sleeps.

**Author's Note:**

> You can reblog this on tumblr [here](https://justsomeoneunordinary.tumblr.com/post/625898774798155776/buckytony-and-44-its-2am-why-are-you-here).


End file.
